Process of producing fermentable sugars from lignocellulose.



G. H. TOMLINSON. PROCESS OF PRODUCING PERMENTABLE SUGARS FROM LIGNOGBLLULOSR. 7

APPLICATION FILED MAR.10,1910.

1,082,440- Patented July 16,19 12.

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574 I w Q60 TEES PATENT OFFICE- GEORGE E. TOMLINSON, OF CHIOAGQJLLINOIS,ASSIGNOR T0 STANDARD ALCOHOL COMPANY, OF YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OFMAINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1912.

Application filed March 10, 1910. Serial N0. 548,443.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. TOMLIN- SON, a subject of the King ofEngland, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inProcesses of Producing Fermentable Sugars from Lignocellulose, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to "a process of producing from ligno-cellulosefermentable sugars adapted to be converted into alcohol.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated diagrammatically oneform of apparatus whereby my process can be carried out. This apparatusmay be described as follows :A, A, are hoppers adapted to containligno-cellulose such as sawdust, and provided with suitable devices notshown for controlling the supply and flow of the same thereinto andtherefrom. B, B are digesters, each provided with an exterior part Cpreferably metal, with an interlor lining'C preferably of acid-resistingbrlck.

Each digester is provided with a blow-off pipe and valve G a man-hole Ga removably secured man-hole cover 0 and a pressure gage C which may beattached to the man-hole cover. Each digester is also preferablyprovided with a worm-wheel D and a driving worm D whereby it may berotated on 1ts projecting hubs D D mounted in suitable bearings on thestandards D, D.

Stuflin boxes I)", D are provided at the ends '0 the hubs for the usualpurposes. E is an acid tank adapted to contain, for example, sulfuricacid in its concentrated com mercial form. E is a pipe leading thenceand controlled by the valve E This pipe opens into the reservoir E intowhich leads the water pipe F controlled by the valve F and from thisreservoir leads a pipe F 3 controlled by the valve F to thepressurechamber F G is a steam supply pipe controlled by the valve G andfrom it leads the pipe G controlled by the valve Gr to the pressurechamber F The steam pipe is connected by the elbow G toa perforated pipeG which passes into or through thedigester. From the pressure chamber Fleads the pipe J controlled by the valve J to the elbow G, through whichit asses and terminates in the nozzle J 2 pre' erably placed in thecontracted passage J 3 in the pipe G.

I- have shown my apparatus as applied to two digesters. In this case, asimilar set of parts will be applied to the right hand digester as thosewhich have been just de'- scribed in connection with the left handdigester. One of the objects in using two digesters 1s to permit thedischarge of steam. or acid or both from one digester into the otherwhen the first mentioned digester is about to be freed of its load whilethe second is ready to have steam and acid applied to 1t. In order toelfect such transmission, I employ the system of pipes, valves andcouplings illustrated in the drawing.

K is a valve whence leads the pipe K to the T K whence leads the pipe Kto the valve K". From the T leads a pipe K to the valve K whence leadsthe pipe K" to the T K from the opposite ends of which lead plpes K K",to valves K, K, whence lead pipes K K, to couplings K K which areadapted each to cooperate with the coupling K on the blow-oil? C whenthe digester is rotated to bring the parts -into the proper position. Bya proper manipulation of the valves, it will be seen, that the parts canbe so connected that either digester instead of being blown off into theopen air can be blown ofl' into the perforated pipe of the otherdigester. When this is done one of the digesters is rotated until thecoupling K can be brought in contact with the coupling K. The valve C isthen opened, the steam passing through the pipe K to the valve K whichis also open, through pipe K, T K pipe K the open valve K, valve K andinto the pipe Gr in the other digester.

It will be seen that any one of many forms of apparatus could be used towork into the digester steam in such quantity as to raise thetemperature of the entire mass up to what is called the critical pointor the point where, in presence of acids, particularly stronglyhydrolyzing acids, the

decomposition products which hinder fermentation begin to appear inconsiderable and objectionable quantities. This is from about 275 toabout 325 Fahrenheit. The steam is preferably introduced until thetemperature in the digester has been raised alone, and when theacid-fluid is admitted into the steam current, the streams should .be soregulated as to give the steam aproper opportunity to disintegrate theacid and under such conditions that the entlre predetermined charge ofacid is discharged into the digester before the temperature rises abovethe maiu'mum point or say 325 Fahrenheit. I When the entire char e ofacid has been inserted the admission 0 fluid is cut off and thetemperature-retained at apoint, say between 260 and 330 Fahrenbelt, forfrom fifteen to sixty minutes, depending u. on the nature of the wood,the amount 0 [acid used and other such conditions as may arise from apractical applifirst. admission of steam, but I cation of the process.The acid may, of

course,'be forced into the digester withthe I believe I get' betterresults tereby, to allow the temperature to rise as above stated to 212Fahrenheit first. This gives a unlform distribution of the acid spraythrough particles of ligno-cellulose at the time when the stream ofsteam and, therefore, through the material, and results in lesscondensation at the immediate neighborhood of the points of entry. Bythis means also the acid is not brought into contact with the wood untilthe temperature of re-actlon is nearly reached and thus- I prevent atleast to a degree, the formation of reversion products. The preferredprocess, therefore, is that wherein a stream of steam 1s forced into theligno-cellulose in the dlgester to heat it to approximately 212Fahrenheit, and a stream of acid-fluid is then supplled to the streamof'steam so as to be disintegrated thereby and carried therewith intothe digester, the discharge into the digester being made at numerouspoints so that the commingled steam and disintegrated ac1dfluid aredisseminated through the lignocellulose, the acid particles, soto'speak, being brought into intimate relation with the the latter areheated to apoint where conditions are substantially ready for thereaction.

Any suitable acid for the purpose of refer, "for closed vessel and'dischar 'n treating the ligno-cellulose can be employed and in anystate, though my process is particularly applicable to the employment ofacid solutions such as sulfuric acids for the purpose of producing.fermentable sugars from ligno-cellulose. All other acids capable ofproducing the same result can be utilized in my process, themodification thereof being made in such way as to adapt the process tothe condition, nature, strength and other peculiarities of the aciddesired to be employed. The process is particularly applicable for suchhydrolyzing acids as are diflicult of volatilization. When the processhas been continued lon gases are blown off in any esired manner and thecontents of the digester removed, whereupon the fermentable sugar can besecured in the usual manner. The blowing off of the gases involves arapid reduction of the internal temperature, which falls with thereduction of pressure to or below the atmospheric boiling point of theliquid.

I claim i 1. The process of producing fermentable sugars fromligno-cellulose which consists in placing a quantity of ligno-cellulosein a closed vessel, quickly raising its temperature by. the introductionof steam, introducing a suitable quantity'of an acid-fluid into thestream of steam whereby it is disintegrated and disseminated through theligno-cellulose, maintaining the temperature for from fifteen to sixtyminutes at approximately the critical point and then reducing thetemperature.

enough, the.

2. The process of producing fermentable I sugars from ligno-cellulose'which consists a closed vessel, quickly raising the temperature to about212 Fahrenheit by the intro-.

duction of steam, introducing a suitable quantity of an acid-fluid intothe stream of steamwhereby it is-disintegrated "and disseminated throughthe ligno-cellulose, con tlnuing the process-until thetemperaturef israised to from 260 to 330 Fahrenheit and I in placing a quantity-ofligno-cellulose in ligno-cellulose until it is heated to theligno-cellulose until it is heated to from 260 to 830 Fahrenheit, thenmaintaining such temperature for from fifteen to sixty minutes by steamthus directly introduced and then reducing the temperature.

5. The process of producing fermentable sugars from ligno-cellulosewhich consists in placing a quantity of ligno-cellulose in a closedvessel and 'discharg'iifig dthereinto ui through steam and disintegratedaci a series of discharge openings so as to bring the acid particlesinto intimate relation with the ligno-cellulose particles, andcontinuing the operation until the temperature has reached the properpoint, maintaining such temperature for from fifteen to sixty minutes bysteam thus directly introduced and then blowing ofl.

6. The process of producing fermentable sugars from ligno-cellulosewhich consists in placing a quantity of li o-cellulose in a closedvessel, heating suc ligno-cellulose, forcing a stream of steam anddisintegrated acid-fluid into such heated ligno-cellulose until theproper temperature for the desired re-action is produced, and thenmaintaining such temperature until the reaction is completed and thenquickly reducing the contact with steam, and thendisseminatinga.hydrolyzing agent through the mass and continuing theheating thereof to eflect the conversion.

8. The process of producing fermentable sugars from ligno-cellulose,which consists in preliminarily heating the mass by direct contact withsteam, and then conveying a hydrolyzing agent to the mass andisseminating it therethrough by a current of steam, and continuing theheating of the mass to efiect the conversion.

GEORGE H. TOMLINSON.

Witnesses:

WILHELM G. From Ln ROY H. Burma. I

